Key Points
In a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, doctors have reported a distressing case involving a woman who suffered kidney damage following a hair-straightening treatment at a salon..
According to the study, the 26-year-old woman underwent the popular hair treatment in June 2020, April 2021, and July 2022..
The woman disclosed to the doctors that her hair had been treated with a straightening cream containing glyoxylic acid, which led the doctors to suspect that this chemical was responsible for her scalp burning and ulceration...
Further investigation, including experiments on mice, led the doctors to theorize that the glyoxylic acid was absorbed through her skin and subsequently reached her kidneys, resulting in damage upon breakdown...
The study identified the woman as suffering from recurrent episodes of acute kidney injury due to oxalate nephropathy, a rare disorder characterized by a decrease in kidney function caused by the accumulation of calcium oxalate crystals in kidney tubules..
